Weft detecting automatic drop box loom



June 6, 1933. A. A. GQRDON WEFT DETECTING AUTOMATIC DROP BOX LOOM Filed Nov. 29, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l lll ll NVENTDR 7' A. Emma/v AL A June 6, 1933. GORDON 1,912,522

WEFT DETECTING AUTOMATIC DROP BOX LOOM Filed Nov. 29, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 MM+M A TTUR/VE Y5 June 6, 1933. A. A. GORDON 1,912,522

WEFT DETECTING AUTOMATIC DROP BOX LOOM Filed NOV. 29 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A L BER TA. Emma/v ATTUR/VE Y5 June 6, 1933. GORDQN WEFT DETECTING AUTOMATIC DROP BOX LOOM 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 29

, v I/EN TOR A L BERT A GU/P U/v 1%, M A TTU/FNEYS June 6, 1933. A. A. GoRDofi WEFT DETECTING AUTOMATIC DROP BOX LOOM Filed Nov. 29, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 6, 1933 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFIOE ALBERT A. GORDON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOIvI WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF IEASSACHUSETTS VJEFT DETECTING AUTOMATIC DROP BOX LOOM Application filed November 29, 1330.

This invention relates to an automatic drop box loom of the type in which a full set of shuttle boxes is provided at each side of the loom, which sets of boxes are raised and lowered simultaneously, so that each shuttle has its own individual box at each end of its path of travel.

It is the general object of my present invention to provide. improved mechanism for positioning a weft detector in operative alignment with such a shuttle boX and for maintaining such alignment during vertical shifting movement of the boxes.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of parts of a drop box loom embodying my improvements, the drop boxes being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the opposite side of the loom;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the weft detector and its sliding support;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of certain parts, taken along the line 44 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a plan view, looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 5; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of certain cams to be described.

Referring to the drawings, my improved loom comprises a frame 10 having a magazine M mounted at the left hand side thereof. The loom is provided with a pair of upper and lower drop boxes 11 and 12 at each side of the loom, said boxes being supported on lifter rods 13 connected by links 14 to lifter levers 15.

The levers 15 are provided with rolls 16 (Figs. 1 and 2) engaging cams 17 on a cam shaft 18. The shaft 18 at its left hand end is provided with a gear 19 engaging a corresponding gear 20 on a shaft 21 which is continuously rotated from any convenient source of power.

The boxes may be operated in any de- Serial No. 499,038.

sired sequence but as shown in the drawings they are designed for shifting in unison at both sides of the loom and after every pick, so that the upper boxes 11 are in running position on one pick and the lower boxes 12 on the next succeeding pick.

Shuttles S and S are provided for the upper and lower boxes 11 and 12 respectively, and'both the shuttles and boxes are provided with openings at their front and rear sides so that a. weft carriermay be transferred horizontally to replace an exhausted weft carrier in either shuttle.

The magazine M is shown as having two weft carrier compartments and is preferably of the general construction shown in my prior Patent #1,766,895, issued June 24, 1930. In this type of mechanism, the magazine is provided with separate weft carrier containers 23 which are selectively lowered into the path of a transferrer 24 (Fig. 1) upon indication of weft exhaustion.

The transferrer 24 is mounted upon a supporting rod 25, pivoted at 26 and connected by a link 27 to a slotted plate 28. The slot in the plate 28 is substantially L-shaped, with a curved or segmental horizontal portion 29 and a short vertical end portion 30. A bell crank or lever 32 is pivoted at 33 and has a cam roll 34 engaging a cam 35') on the driving shaft 21. A suitable spring (not shown) causes the roll 34 to continuously engage the cam 35, and the lever is given a regular swinging movement by the continued rotation of the shaft 21.

The stud 37 in the upwardly extending arm of the lever 32 is positioned in the slot of the plate 28 and normally swings back and forth in the segmental portion 29 thereof. The plate 28 rests upon the end of an arm 40 mounted on a shaft 41, to which is also connected a second arm 42, which in turn is connected by a link 43 to an arm 44 on a rock shaft 45. The shaft'41 is given a rocking movement upon every indication of weft exhaustion.

The levers 42 and 40 are normally in lowered position, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the stud 37 oscillates idly in the slot 29. Upon indication of transfer, however, the shaft 41 is rocked, moving the arm 40 upward and thus raising the plate 28, so that the stud 37 enters the vertical slot 30.

The rocking of the shaft 11 also raises the link 43 and gives the rock shaft 45 a rocking movement which is effective through connections not shown to depress one of the weft carrier containers 23. The shaft 15 is also movable longitudinally by a bell crank 46 connected by a link 47 to the box motion. Such endwise movement of the shaft 45 causes a weft carrier container to be selected for depression which corresponds to the drop boxes and shuttle which are about to become active.

After the slotted plate 28 is thus raised by the arm 10 upon indication of transfer, the next subsequent rearward movement of the stud 37 by the cam 35 carries the plate 28 and link 27 rearward and gives the transferrer 24 an operative filling transferring movement.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, a weft detector 50 is mounted in a detector casing 51 which is secured to a support 52 which is in the form of a vertically elongated bar, slidable in fixed guideways 53. At its lower end the support 52 is provided with a stud 54, normally seated in recesses in the adjacent faces of two members 55 which are yieldingly drawn together by a spring 56, the parts 55 and 56 collectively constituting a giveway device.

The members 55 are pivoted at 57 to a lever 58 mounted on a fixed pivot 59 and having a cam stud or roll 60 positioned in a cam groove 61 (Fig. 7) formed in the side face of a cam 62 mounted on a short shaft 63 rotatable in a fixed bearing on the loom frame 10. The shaft 63 is also provided with a gear 64 meshing with an intermediate gear 65 which in turn engages a gear 66 on the lower cam shaft 18 previously described. The gears 64 and 66 are of the same size so that the cams 62 and 17 rotate in unison and in the same direction.

The cams are so designed that the detector 50 will be raised or lowered as the case may be to bring the detector opposite the shuttle box and shuttle which is about to become active. Such positioning of the detector takes place prior to the completed movement of the selected shuttle box to running position and also as the lay is moving forward to front center. The cam 62 is also designed to keep the detector approximately aligned with the selected shuttle box after shifting movement to a point on a level therewith has taken place.

The support 52 is provided with a pair of studs on which upper and lower rolls 68 and 69 are rotatably mounted. A positioning or looking plate 70 is fixed to the right hand box lifter rod 13 and is provided with a segmental slot 71 open at its front end. After the detector 50 has been positioned by the cam 62 opposite the shuttle about to become active, the lay moves forward and the corresponding roll 68 or 69 is engaged in the slot 71 of the plate 70. As the lay continues to move forward the support 52 necessarily moves vertically in unison with the lifter rod 13, so that the detector 50 cannot get out of operative relation with the shuttle to be detected.

The weft detecting mechanism is in general of a commercial form and comprises a weft detector 50 pivoted at 73 on a slide T-l mounted for forward sliding movement in the casing 51. A spring 75 in the casing 51 engages the detector 50, holding it normally in the position indicated in Fig. 1, with a forwardly extending portion 76 engaging a stop 77. A detector 50 also provid: with a longitudinally extended slot 78 open-ed at its rear end and adapted to receive a vertical member 80 (Fig. which forms the outer portion of a rectangular open wire frame 81. The frame 81 is mounted in a fixed bearing 82 (Fig. and has an arm 83 clamped thereto.

As the detector 50 engages a subs tiall; exhausted weft carrier and slips siuewise to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the arm 83 swings forward in a horizontal slot 85 (Fig. 3) formed in a fixed bracket 86 (Fig. 6). The bracket 86 also has a vertical segmental slot or opening 87 in which the free end of a floating lever normally oscillated.

The lever 88 is pivoted at 39 (Fig. to the upper end of a rod 90, slidably mounted in a bearing 91 and connected at its lower end to an arm 92 which is fixed to the rock shaft d1 which contro s the position of the slotted plate 28 PlCViOllSlf described.

An actuating rod Fig. 5) is pivoted at 96 to the lever 88 near the middle of its length. At its lower end t..e rod 94; is pivotally mounted on a stud 97 in the forward end of a lever 98. which in turn is pivoted on the stud 59 which supports the lever previously described.

At its rear end the lever 98 is provided with a stud or roll 99 (Fig. 8) engaging a cam 100 on the cam shaft 63 previously described. The cam 100 is so designed that the actuating rod 9% is given a vertical reciprocation for every pick of the loom.

Under normal conditions. the weight of the slotted plate 28 resting on the end of the arm 10 (Fig. 1) holds the rod (Fig. in raised position, and the actuating rod 94: swings the lever 88 freely about its pivot If, however, the detector 50 slips sidewise upon substantial weft exhaustion in the active shuttle, the arm 83 (Fig. moves into the path of the free end of the lever 88 which thereafter turns about its point of engagement with the arm 83 as a pivot and forces the rod 90 downward. This downward movement of the rod'90, acting through the arm 92 and rock shaft 41, raises the cam plate 28 as previously described and causes the transferrer 24 to become operative.

It will thus appear that I have provided a loom in which the boxes at the two ends of the loom are raised and lowered and in which each shuttle has its own assigned shuttle box at each end of its path of travel. I have also provided a weft detector mounted on a movable support and positioning means for said support by which the detector is brought opposite the box which is about to ass e running position. After being thus led, the detector support is locked to the box lifter rod during the continued forward and rearward movement of the lay and is thus retained in exact alignment with the we t carrier to be indicated.

l have also provided simplefand direct connections by which the magazine and trn is rer are actuated to supply a fresh weft carrier as soon as the indicated shuttle reaches the opposite side of the loom on its first flight after weft detection is indicated.

All of the parts are of simple and substantial construction and the entire mechanism is unusually reliable in operation.

Having thus described my invention and advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is 1. In a drop box loom, a set ofdrop boxes, cam mechansm to raise and lower said boxes, a weft detector, a vertically mQvable slide on which said detector is mounted, additional cam mechanism effective to move said slide and detector vertically relative to said drop boxes and also in unison therewith, and means to lock said boxes and slide from rela tive vertical displacement during such unison movement.

2. The combination in a drop box loom as set forth in claim 1, in which said latter means comprises a pair of spaced studs on said vertically movable slide and a plate fixed on the drop box lifter rod and having a segmental slot therein open at its forward end to receive a selected stud.

3. In a drop box loom, a set of drop boxes, cam mechanism to raise and lower said boxes, a weft detector, a vertically movable slide on which said detector is mounted, additional cam mechanism effective to move said slide and detector vertically relative to said drop boxes and also in unison therewith, means to lock said boxes and detector from relative vertical displacement during such unison movement, and a give way connection between said additional cam mechanism and said vertically movable slide.

4. In an automatic drop box loom, a vertically movable weft detector having a sideslipping detecting movement and having a slot extending longitudinally of said detector, and a transmitting member having a vertically extended frame, a portion of which is positioned in said slot but permits free relative vertical sliding movement between said parts.

5. In an automatic drop box loom, a vertically movable weft detector having a sideslipping detecting movement and having a slot extending longitudinally of said detector, and a transmitting member having a rectangular open wire frame, one vertical member of which extends through said slot but permits free relative vertical sliding movement between said parts.

6. In an automatic drop box loom, a pair of upper and lower drop boxes at each end of the loom, positive acting means efiective to raise and lower said pairs of boxes, a single weft detector, cam means to move said detector opposite the upper boxes and the lower boxes alternately, and means to hold said detector and boxes from relative ver tical movement while the boxes are traversing the forward part of their range of movement toward and from front center.

7. In an automatic drop box loom, a weft detector having a side slipping detecting movement, means to move said detector vertically and in predetermined relation to the movements of the drop boxes, and a transmitting member movable horizontally in a fixed vertical position and having a vertically extended frame portion, said frame portion being uniformly and operatively related to said detector in all vertical positions of said detector and being engaged in a manner to permit free relative vertical sliding movement between the detector and frame portion as the detector moves vertically, said transmitting member being moved by said detector to operative position upon indication of weft exhaustion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ALBERT A. GORDON. 

